We're now ending our live coverage of Malawi's presidential election. Here are the key developments:

• Ex-President Peter Mutharika has been declared the winner, in a huge comeback for the 85-year-old.
• He defeated President Lazarus Chakwera by a convincing margin - 57%-33%
• Chakwera addressed the nation earlier, saying he accepted defeat
• His presidency was marred by soaring inflation, dwindling foreign exchange and fuel shortages
• Mutharika told voters on the campaign trail: "You missed me right?"
• He led Malawi from 2014 to 2020.

You can follow the latest developments here.

And read a profile of Malawi's president-elect here.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

President Chakwera took office with a promise to create a million jobs for the unemployed youth and to ensure food security so that all Malawians have three meals a day.

His government admitted it found it hard to deliver on those promises, but blamed it on the Covid pandemic, natural disasters such as drought and cyclones and the economic downturn caused by the war in Ukraine.

It pointed to its successes, including the reintroduction of train services for the first time in over three decades and major road construction, particularly in the capital, Lilongwe.

But voters were unconvinced, leading to Chakwera's defeat.

Peter Jegwa
Lilongwe, Malawi

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

By putting Mutharika back in power, voters in Malawi seem to have concluded that life was better during his first term.

He brought inflation down to below 10% during his presidency, while it crossed the 30% mark under his successor, the defeated President Chakwera.

Mutharika, who was in office from 2014 to 2020, will be under enormous pressure to repeat the feat or risk seeing his popularity plummet.

There was huge applause when Mutharika was declared the winner of the presidential election by the chair of the election commission.

Nomsa Maseko
BBC Africa, Lilongwe

Image source, Reuters

We finally have the official results - and they show former President Peter Mutharika won Malawi's elections by a huge margin.

He secured 57% of the votes, compared to the 33% of current President Chakwera, who conceded defeat earlier on in the day.

This announcement marks a major political comeback for 85-year-old Mutharika.

He served as president from 2014 to 2020, when he lost to Chakwera by a wide margin.

He inherits an economy that is in deep crisis, with a severe shortage of fuel and foreign currency in the poor southern African state.

The official inflation rate is close to 30%, with a frozen chicken in a supermarket in the capital, Lilongwe, costing about $20 (£15), in a nation where most people live on $2 a day or less.

Prior to him conceding, Chakwera's party had complained of "serious anomalies" during the vote-counting process.

The commission's chairperson, Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, is now reading out the results from different areas around the country.

The election was contested by 17 candidates, but the two frontrunners were Peter Mutharika and the incumbent, Lazarus Chakwera.

Earlier today, Chakwera acknowledged defeat, and congratulated Mutharika on his victory.

The new president can be sworn in only seven days after the official results are declared but within 30 days, the chair says.

The chairperson says the election commission has addressed concerns about irregularities in the presidential race.

Chkawera's party and other parties had lodged complaints, which were "comprehensively reviewed", she says.

Ms Mtalimanja thanks voters for remaining peaceful throughout the election process.

Image source, Luntha TV

The commission's chairperson, Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, is speaking now. She will be the one to announce the results. But she is first describing the electoral process.

The election commission's chief election officer Andrew Mpesi is speaking now. He thanks everyone for ensuring the election went smoothly, and without any major logistical problems.

Image source, Malawi Electoral Commission/Facebook

The electoral commission officials are finally here and should be announcing the result shortly...

The electoral commission is running late with its announcement.

Those watching the livestream at the moment are being treated to the election's chilled-out theme song, Vote Yanga by Malawian musician Piksy.

Stay with us - we will let you know the results as soon as we have them.

Peter Mutharika is the brother of the late President Bingu wa Mutharika, who unexpectedly died in office of a cardiac arrest in 2012 at the age of 78.

Then foreign minister, Peter Mutharika was later accused of being part of a bizarre plot to hide, at least for a while, the death of his brother, so that he could manoeuvre to prevent then-Deputy President Joyce Banda from assuming the presidency, as outlined in the constitution.

The alleged plot saw Peter Mutharika charged with treason while Banda was in power.

He described the charges as frivolous and politically motivated - and they were dropped after he was elected president in 2014, defeating Banda and Lazarus Chakwera.

Malawi's Electoral Commission is due to announce the official election results in roughly 10 minutes - we will keep you updated.

Rival politicians in Zimbabwe have come up with two very different interpretations of Chakwera's concession.

Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana praised the Malawian president for honouring the democratic process, adding: "We await a day when such graceful concessions become the unshakable norm in Zimbabwe where the opposition will look for every excuse possible to evade the grace of accepting defeat."

Meanwhile, Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa wrote on social media: "Malawi adds onto the basket of nations in Africa, with successful transitions, joining the likes of Botswana, Zambia, South Africa, Ghana, Mauritius - just to mention a few".

Note that Chamisa did not include Zimbabwe in his list - the country's President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared victor of the 2023 elections but Chamisa's party claimed they had won and made allegations of widespread vote-rigging.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Throughout the day, public figures have steadily been congratulating Mutharika.

One of the latest to comment is Malawian preacher Shepherd Bushiri, who courts controversy and is wanted in South Africa over rape and fraud charges. Bushiri denies any wrongdoing.

He addressed Mutharika via his social media platforms, writing: "This triumph is not only a reflection of the trust and confidence the people of Malawi have placed in your leadership, but also a testament to your steadfast commitment to service, unity, and national development."

Bushiri has a large following across southern Africa, and is reported to be a millionaire.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Peter Mutharika will address the nation tomorrow at 10:00 Malawi time (08:00 GMT), a spokesperson for his party has told state-run channel MBC.

The speech will be broadcast from Mutharika's home in the city of Blantyre.

Mutharika had been expected to speak today, but postponed his address after the electoral commission said that it will release the final result only this evening.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Political analysts have been discussing why Mutharika won the election, despite his mixed record.

"Malawians are longing for a better past," Mavuto Bamusi from the Malawi Political Science Association told Reuters news agency.

"There are some dark spots we should still associate with Mutharika, even if the majority of the voters may think that he is the better president... but only on account of the better management of the economy associated with him in his first term."

Boniface Dulani, University of Malawi associate professor of political science, told Kenya's Daily Nation: “The election was less about Mutharika but more of a referendum against Chakwera.”

Under Chakwera, inflation has soared past 30%. Cyclone Freddy, a punishing drought, dwindling foreign reserves and other factors have pushed many Malawians into extreme poverty.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Presidential candidate Joyce Banda has congratulated Mutharika following provisional election results showing that he has won.

Banda, also a former president of Malawi, contended in the race as a representative of the People's Party (PP).

Banda and Mutharika have had a difficult relationship - they engaged in a power struggle to succeed Mutharika's brother, Bingu, who was president from 2004 to 2012. Banda ultimately won, becoming the country's first female president.

Mutharika was subject to treason charges while Banda was in charge, but they were dropped after Mutharika came to power in 2014.